1. NATIONAL WATER RESOURCE STRATEGY SOUTH AFRICA’S WATER SITUATION AND STRATEGIES TO BALANCE SUPPLY AND DEMAND LOWER VAAL WMA

2. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Rainfall and Evaporation

3. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Base Map

4. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Land Use

5. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Sectoral Water Requirements (2000)

6. Sectoral contributions to the economy (1997) Contribution Agriculture Mining Manufacturing Electricity Construction Trade Transport Finance Government Other Community 0 % 20 % 30 % 10 % National Lower Vaal WMA

7. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Water Availability (2000)

8. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Water Reconciliation (2000)

9. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Population scenarios

10. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Water Reconciliation (future)

11. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Groundwater Groundwater utilisation of major importance in WMA - only source of water over much of WMA Mainly used for rural domestic supplies, stock watering, water supplies to several towns, but also for irrigation Total yield from groundwater more than double surface water resources Localised over-exploitation of groundwater due to excessive use for irrigation Concern about impacts of upstream farm dams and alien vegetation on yield from groundwater Major de-watering of groundwater aquifers for mining purposes at Sishen Need for better management of transborder ground- water aquifers shared by South Africa and Botswana

12. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Water quality In natural state quality of surface water in WMA of acceptable standard, although typical of high turbidity Water quality seriously impacted upon by urban and industrial use and mining activities in Upper Vaal and Middle Vaal WMAs as well as irrigation return flows (also Harts and Riet/Modder Rivers) Blending with low salinity water from the Orange River Quality of groundwater generally good although brackish (mineralised) water in drier areas Pollution of dolomitic groundwater experienced at Pering Mine near Reivilo as a result of the mining activities

13. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Key issues Already full development and high utilisation of water resources which naturally occur in the WMA - both surface water and groundwater Dominant influence of water from upstream WMAs on water resource management in the Lower Vaal WMA Concerns about water quality in Vaal River as result of upstream activities (urban, industrial, mining) and the additional impacts of irrigation return flows on salinity concentrations Recent assessments that yield from the Vaal River system is substantially lower than previously determined - affects thereof on users from the Vaal River

14. WMA 10: Lower Vaal - Key issues (2) Expected decline in rural domestic and urban requirements for water Impacts of alien vegetation on groundwater availability Sharing of across-border aquifers with Botswana Impacts of mining activities on groundwater Localised over-exploitation of groundwater Unutilised yield from Taung Dam

15. WMA 10: Lower Vaal Water resources under control of the Minister Transfer of water from Middle Vaal and Upper Vaal WMAs to Lower Vaal WMA Reservation to the transfer of 18 million m 3 /a from Upper Orange WMA to Douglas Weir (Lower Vaal WMA) Lower Vaal WMA also part of Vaal River system which extends over several WMAs -management of water resources in the Vaal River system impacts on water quantity and quality in all inter-linked WMAs -management of water resources in Vaal River system to be controlled at national level